Overboard
by madri
Summary: Sanji. Nami. Alone on an island. What could POSSIBLY go wrong? Project for 30 kisses. [complete]
1. look over here

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**1. look over here**

It was unusually hot that day. Sanji rolled back his sleeves and once again brushed away the persistent sweat that kept beading on his forehead. Slaving over a hot stove, as the old adage went, was not exactly his ideal way to spend such an afternoon; no, lying in the sun between Nami and Robin--both of whom would be scantily clad, of course--with one cold drink and three straws seemed much more his speed. Better yet, forget the extra two straws (indirect kisses were not the best one could hope for, but they certainly were something).

But no: loutish oafs though they (mostly) were, his crew needed serving. He balanced all the plates on any relatively level surface he could find on his body and kicked open the galley door. The sun was relentless and glaring, but at least the ocean breeze kept it much cooler out here. The reaction to his appearance--or at least, the appearance of the food--was immediate, as the aforementioned loutish oafs ceased their activities (mostly nothing except lying around complaining about the heat and their hunger) and pounced.

"Hey, hey," Sanji snapped, fending them off with his leg. "Ladies first." He grinned at Robin and Nami, setting their plates before them (a double portion with an extra fancy garnish, of course). He paused briefly to revel in their thanks--this was the best part of his day, bar none--before serving the rest of the brutes.

"It's been a while since we've been on land," Sanji brought up over the usual noise of a meal on the Going Merry Go. "We're starting to run low on a lot of important stuff."

"Is there no emergency food supply?" Robin asked.

Chopper froze.

"What about fishing?" she added, before Sanji could reply, causing the reindeer to relax again somewhat.

"That would be helpful if these shitty losers would ever actually catch anything," Sanji pointed out with contempt.

The two most prominent shitty losers in question, Luffy and Usopp, were far too busy stuffing their faces even to notice they were being insulted.

"Stop taking my food!" Usopp shouted, slapping Luffy's hand away.

"I'm not taking your food," Luffy said, grabbing three slices of meat from Usopp's plate and stuffing them in his mouth.

"If it's on my plate, it's my food!" Usopp pointed out. This whole conversation seemed oddly familiar.

Sanji rolled his eyes. It was then that he noticed there was a vacant chair at the table--the chair that needed to be filled more than any other chair at the table, in fact. Quickly, Sanji scanned the rest of the ship, but it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for--"Miss Nami?" he called out.

She was leaning against the bow, staring towards the horizon. "Look over here," she said, pointing. "Look at those gathering clouds. There's a storm coming."


	2. news

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**2. news**

Delivery on the Grand Line was nearly impossible, which was a terrible shame, as Nami missed being able to take the newspaper on a regular basis. She hated feeling out of the loop, but at least between Robin, any islands they stopped at, and her own collection, she had plenty of reading material.

She supposed, ultimately, it was actually a plus that they couldn't be easily tracked, because it wasn't difficult to do the math--she knew that the combined bounty on Luffy's and Robin's heads was 109,000,000 berries. (Well, actually it was 179,000,000--239,000,000 if you added in Zoro's--but fortunately she, like the rest of them, was blissfully oblivious of this latest development for the time being.)

Still, when they went for any length of time without sighting land, like now, it was always a bit of a torture. What, exactly, was going on in the world? There had been plenty of times when their lack of knowledge on current events was painfully obvious, and it's not like Luffy's disregard for such apparent luxuries as "common sense" wasn't bad enough without the rest of the crew often being left clueless. Lack of knowledge about one's opponent was, to Nami's mind, akin to a kiss of death--though, she reflected, they had done all right so far even with their ill-informed captain.

This was what was on her mind the day the storm hit. It had been completely sunny for the last couple of days, but the oppressive humidity in the air left Nami not entirely surprised when she saw the clouds on the horizon. Not to mention the fact that this was, after all, the Grand Line--it was difficult, but Nami was learning to unlearn what she knew about the natural progression of weather.

Not long after she made the announcement to the rest of the crew, the storm hit.


	3. jolt!

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**3. jolt!**

Zoro hated taking orders from that woman, but in times like this, he grudgingly understood that she was the best person to be giving them. Even that stupid love cook seemed to understand that he couldn't waste extra time kissing up to her and that he just needed to do as he was told.

So it was as it was, Nami shouting out commands as the rest of them ran around trying to secure everything that needed securing while still making sure that the ship as a whole stayed afloat. This storm would pass, just like all the others that hit them on the Grand Line.

But this one, it quickly became apparent, was different. It was fierce, and while they had dealt with fierce storms before, the fierceness was combined with a tiring single-mindedness. It seemed as if the storm refused to abate until the little ship was reduced to so much flotsam.

Luffy lost his hat an average of three times per storm. He was right on target with this one. It was the fourth time, though, that would prove to be the last.

"I got it!" cried Nami, who was closest. She jumped to grab it in midair, and it was at that exact moment that some important things happened: first, she caught the hat; second, the water beneath the boat shifted to bring it rolling up; and third, a large wave hit the boat with a hard jolt. The impact was jarring, and when she hit the deck again, her proximity to the side of the ship became crucial. The jolt caused her to lose her footing, and over the side she went.

The shock from those aboard the Going Merry was almost palpable, but it was most apparent from Sanji, who ran to where she disappeared, leaving Zoro hanging, quite literally, with the task of securing Nami's mini-tangerine grove.

Nami fought to stay above the surface, but the surf was rough. Luffy appeared by Sanji's side, his arm already stretching to reach their navigator, but another hit sent both of them sprawling on the deck.

Sanji was on his feet in an instant, but Luffy had to take a moment to spit up the water that had washed onto the deck and right into his mouth. By the time both of them were back up, Nami had disappeared entirely.

Sanji didn't hesitate another instant, not even to take off his jacket or shoes--he was over the side himself, searching frantically. He didn't notice the growing distance between himself and the ship, and he ignored Luffy's attempts to pull him back in.

Finally he saw her, still conscious, but even he was taking in sizable quantities of water and knew neither of them would last much longer. "Miss Nami!" he shouted above the roar of the storm, quickly paddling to her side. Before he reached her, he saw her disappear below the surface again. He grabbed onto her shirt and pulled her back up as forcibly as he could.

It was then and only then that he realized the thrashing seas and the pounding rain had caused him to lose sight of the Going Merry completely. "Luffy!" he shouted into the stormy abyss, looking every which way. "Chopper! ... Marimo!"

He strained for any signs of their crew, but nothing. They were alone.

Just the two of them and Luffy's straw hat, on which Nami still somehow had a firm grip.

Well, Sanji thought with some bitterness, he'd always wanted to be alone with her, but never quite like this.


	4. our distance and that person

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**4. our distance and that person**

When Nami began to regain consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the sand. It was sun-kissed warm and dry and she wished she could pull it over herself like a blanket.

Quickly, she sat up. She was staring at the ocean from the safety of a sandy beach. She glanced around--it seemed deserted. What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered, she was fighting against the ocean to stay afloat and alive.

Lying next to her was Luffy's straw hat, the reason she'd gone over in the first place. And just beyond the hat, thoroughly unconscious, was Sanji.

She stood up, brushing herself off. Well, this was certainly a pickle. She didn't see the Going Merry anywhere, so it was safe to assume that the rest of the crew would not emerge from the trees behind them at any minute, ready to set sail once again. She squinted at the horizon, but it was empty.

The thought of going off trekking by herself was a little unnerving--after all, it _looked_ deserted, but the way things appeared and the way things actually were very often turned out to be two completely different things (especially on the Grand Line), so she dropped to the ground beside Sanji. "Sanji," she said, shaking him a little. "Wake up."

The steady rise and fall of his chest did not miss a beat.

"Sanji." She shook him harder. "Sanji! SANJI, WAKE UP!"

His eyes flew open, the pupils instantly shrinking to pinpricks. He squinted, trying to bring his sight and his thoughts into focus. "Miss Nami?" He sat up quite abruptly then, causing Nami to jerk back. "Ah, Miss Nami, this truly is a most fortuitous day! You're okay--no, better than okay; you're radiant! Splendid! Magnificent!"

"Yes, yes," she said dismissively. She was tired and achy and waterlogged and would much prefer to focus on a way out of their situation than on her (admittedly vast) charms. "What are we going to do?"

"Anything you want, of course!"

She sighed. "I meant about the situation."

"Oh." Sanji's grin faltered. It was clear that frankly, he had no idea.

"I can't even begin to guess how far the Going Merry is from here by now," Nami said, her shoulders slumping involuntarily. "Not to mention the fact that without me, they'll all be completely lost."

"Who isn't lost without you, Miss Nami?" Sanji's eyes were little hearts.

"I meant _literally_." This was getting frustrating. "Let's go check this place out. Maybe we're overreacting. Maybe there's a big booming town just on the other side. Or, better yet, treasure!"

"Yes, Miss Nami!" he cried, leaping to his feet. Unlike the rest of the crew, he was willing to overlook Nami's often skewed priorities--no, not only that, he found them incredibly endearing. But then, he found everything about her incredibly endearing.

Without another word, the two of them set off around the island.


	5. hey, you know

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**5. "hey, you know..."**

"Hey, you know."

"Huh?" Sanji turned to look at her.

"I left the Log Pose on the ship." She was staring at her wrist, where the ship's bizarre compass was usually perched. "I took it off and put it in my desk drawer so it wouldn't get smashed up in the storm. Do you think someone will find it and be able to get the ship to the next island?"

There was silence as both of them contemplated this.

"Forget I asked."

They were lying back on the beach, in almost the exact same places that they'd woken just a few hours before. It had only taken them that short intervening time to circle the island and discover that not only was there no big booming town just on the other side, but there wasn't even a treasure to be found either. It was hard to say which Nami found more disappointing. The island itself was tiny, which would explain the reason why, if it was between their last island and their next as she supposed it must be, her Log Pose hadn't picked up on its magnetic field.

Still, she was grateful for its existence (albeit a bit grudgingly), because it truthfully had saved her life. And Sanji's. She supposed she should, ultimately, be grateful for that, too.

"Luffy and Zoro managed before you came along, right?" He was trying to cheer her up, but he wanted to add, "Though I can't imagine how." Neither of them could navigate their way successfully out of a paper bag.

"Not for long, and that wasn't the Grand Line." Nami sighed.

Sanji sighed, too. He had never imagined being stranded anywhere alone with Nami could possibly be so boring. There were certainly a few things he wouldn't _mind_ doing, and, after all, he _was_ her rescuer, so maybe--

"Don't even get any ideas."

Sanji was dumbfounded. Had he spoken out loud? No, he hadn't said anything. Then that meant--! "Ah, Miss Nami, our minds have become one! That is true love, and we--"

"No, you're just incredibly predictable." She shut him down quite abruptly with that one.

But Sanji never was one to take a kiss off personally. "Of course, Miss Nami. Someone as wonderful and brilliant as you could--"

Nami turned her back to him. She was simply too exhausted to be polite today.


	6. the space between dream and reality

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**6. the space between dream and reality**

They were sitting around a fire that Sanji couldn't remember starting. Nami had her legs pulled up to her chest. Sanji tried not to stare, but in the flickering light she looked entirely ethereal (more so than usual, that was).

She caught him looking anyway. A small smile curled her lips. "Come here," she said, patting the sand beside her.

She had barely finished the second word when Sanji was beside her. She leaned against him. His heart actually stopped for a second. He looked down at the top of her head, orange hair like a flame by which he badly wanted to be burned. She tipped her head to look back up at him, and then, their lips met in a kiss.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back, and she was over him. "Sanji."

"Miss Nami!"

"Sanji."

"Miss Nami!"

"SANJI!"

He sat up quite abruptly, blinking into the darkness. Nami, several feet away, was giving him a distinctly annoyed look. "Stop dreaming about me. It's noisy."

His heart sank. The space between dream and reality was, after all, _far_ too wide for his taste.

The sun was only just setting, and it was getting a bit chilly.

"We should light a fire," Nami said, staring at the horizon. "Not only will it keep us warm, but someone might see it. At least without Luffy, Zoro, and Robin around we probably won't be recognized, so we might be safe even with a Marine ship. Though I'm sure we could escape it either way." She clapped her hands together, a dreamy look crossing her face. "I hope it's another pirate ship, though. One with lots and lots and lots of treasure!"

Sanji was already on his feet, brushing himself off. If it was a fire Nami wanted, then a fire she would have. That was one thing he felt confident he could provide. Well, he could provide a lot of things, but the only one she had really asked for up until this point was rescue--and when it came to that, well, he was sure something would occur to him sooner or later, but until then, he would just have to make this the best damn fire ever.

Maybe his dream wasn't a dream after all, but a vision of the future. And it had had a roaring fire in it. With that in mind, he set off to complete his task with the utmost zeal.


	7. superstar

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**7. superstar**

Sometimes Sanji liked to think about his friends on the Going Merry, where they'd come from and where they were going. He'd never met such an ambitious group of people in his life. He'd seen all sorts come and go on the Baratie, but never a group quite like his shipmates. Luffy, who would be the King of the Pirates and find One Piece. Marimo, who would be the strongest swordsman in the world. Usopp, who would be a great warrior of the seas. Chopper, who would be a great doctor and discover a panacea. Robin, who would find the true history of the world. None of them were modest goals, to be sure, and yet he knew they would accomplish them. They would all be superstars--even the ones that already were would someday exceed themselves.

He had always assumed the same of himself, that he would one day find All Blue, and he had never questioned that Nami would someday finish her world map (she was, in his opinion, already the world's greatest navigator), but on their third (or was it fourth? He'd already lost count) day on the island, he was beginning to wonder if maybe destiny hadn't had something else in mind for them.

Even if his "vision of the future" seemed to be just a dream after all (though he still kept up his hope; there was always time for that to change!), he could certainly think of worse situations to be in than stranded on an island alone with Nami, even if she was being awfully distant and unhappy.

He hated seeing her unhappy.

On top of all that, the tiny island had a similarly tiny variety of animal life, so they'd pretty much had to restrict themselves to a diet of plant life. Sanji could just imagine himself after they were rescued, yelling, "MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!" just like Luffy. He'd be so glad to see it, he'd even given it a kiss. But only if it was lady meat. He didn't bat for the other team, even when it came to meat.

He was silly for doubting it, he decided.

Of course they'd be rescued, and he, too, would be a superstar.


	8. our own world

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**8. our own world**

"Here."

Sanji blinked. He'd been staring off into space, trying desperately hard not to imagine all the things he and Nami _could_ be doing, but weren't. She was holding something out to him. He looked at it, nonplussed.

"It's a fishing spear," she explained. "Well, it's just a long stick that I sharpened the end of. But you could try _using_ it as a fishing spear. I'm sick of all this fruit."

Sanji leaped to his feet. "Miss Nami is so wonderful! Beautiful _and_ a genius!"

"Yes, yes," Nami said, as usual, though this time she could barely suppress a small smile. He could be tiresome, but at least he had good taste.

He took the spear and hurried off down the beach to the water, wanting to get started right away. He could just imagine how grateful she would be when he caught her a huge fish--"You're amazing, Sanji!" she would cry. And then, of course, she'd want to show him her gratitude in any way possible, and he wasn't thinking just kisses--

A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked: Nami plopped herself down just a few feet away, staring straight ahead across the sea.

He gave a small, contended sigh. It wasn't All Blue, but it was something almost as good: their own world. For now, it would do.


	9. dash

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**9. dash**

And then, of course, there was the rest of the time.

He wasn't really sure quite what it was that had set her off, but it had sent him dashing off down the beach nonetheless, dodging the heavy debris she lobbed at him with surprising strength (he shouldn't have been surprised, really, considering how amazing she was, but she was also so delicate! Nami was a woman of many graces).

All he had done was offer a few suggestions about what they could do to relieve the ennui she'd verbalized so fervently, and for _some strange reason_, that had set her off.

He'd thought they were rather good ideas, personally, ones that he had given careful thought to over the last few days. They could start with a little bit of _that_, and then it would lead to a little bit of _this_, and then some more of _that_--

Unfortunately, it seemed that he could kiss his chances of any of _this_ or _that_ goodbye for at least the rest of the day.

He decided to cut his losses, at least for now, and got a safe distance away before stopping. Fortunately, one of the things she'd thrown at him (though her aim was so good it was very nearly _severely_ unfortunate) was the fishing spear she'd made, his most precious possession on this island. If he came back with a big fish or three ready to roast on the fire and serve her, she would certainly forgive him any trespasses.

He stretched his legs before getting to work. At least he'd gotten a bit of good exercise.


	10. 10

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**10. #10**

"What's that?"

"Hm?" Nami looked up over her shoulder at him. "Oh. It's a calendar stick. I've been marking off the days since we got here. I like to keep track of time."

"Amazing!" said Sanji, stars accompanying the usual hearts in his eyes. "Miss Nami, you're so brilliant!"

"Mm-hm," she said nonchalantly. "Today is Day #10."

"Ten?" Sanji repeated. "Has it really been that long? It felt like only a moment, with you!"

"Are you kidding? It's felt like a year." She threw the stick against the sand in disgust.

If Sanji was insulted by this proclamation, he didn't show it. He simply went back to caring for the flame-kissed fish he'd finally managed to catch (he'd never admit it to Nami, but he'd caught them without her spear).

"Just think of all the things that could have happened in ten days," Nami lamented. "Those guys are probably completely lost, for starters. If they haven't been taken into custody by the Marines, or killed by opposing pirates, or something, that is."

Sanji almost added that there was the possibility they didn't even make it through the storm, but decided against it.

"Worst of all, without me there, they'd never see a good money-making opportunity if it bit them on the nose! Even Usopp, and that's a lot of nose to bite."

She flopped back down in the sand, a gesture of defeat. "Ten days. How many more until we get off this place?" It was true; she still refused to believe in the possibility that they'd be stuck there forever. She had more important things to do, things that most certainly didn't involve being stranded with this stupid cook.

"Soon," he guessed.


	11. gardenia

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**11. gardenia**

"We need to make the fire bigger," Nami announced. "It's pitiful as it is. Of course nobody will ever see it. I wish we had something combustible. Why wasn't I stranded with Usopp! He'd build some kind of firework or something."

Sanji pointedly ignored that last remark. Of _course_ she wouldn't rather be stranded her with that long-nosed idiot; she was just saying things because of the sun.

Besides which, she had brought up a good point: their fire _was_ pitiful. It had started out decent, but even with their unending efforts to keep it going, it had shrunk quite a bit in size. Today was as good a day as any to build it back up.

He set to work straightaway gathering anything that looked flammable. He kicked down a couple of trees, but tried to stick mostly to their branches: after all, the island was very small, and branches grew faster than whole trees.

He smelled the flowers before he saw them, their scent strong enough to kiss his nose even without a visual. But there they were, big, white flowers. He had somehow missed them before--he must have been distracted by Nami, who was with him the other times he'd come through here, and as lovely and fragrant as these flowers were, Nami was lovelier and fragranter (she was just about all kinds of -er compared to most things in this world; she was, in fact, the -est -er he had ever met). Still, he gathered several along with his fire-building materials with which to present her.

"Here," he said, bowing and offering the bouquet.

She gave him a small look of surprise, then took them, inhaling their potent scent. "Gardenias!" she announced with a grin.

"Pardon?"

"I think they're gardenias," she said. "I remember reading about them. They like warm, humid climates. They're said to represent..." she paused, racking her memory. "Joy and purity, I think."

Sanji's grin widened. "Then they're perfect for one such as yourself, Miss Nami."

"Thank you, Sanji," said Nami, clearly pleased. "Now, about that fire."

Ah, well, thought Sanji; it was always business with Nami, wasn't it? It was one of the (many, many) things he loved about her. Still, her expression was something he'd keep locked in his memory for some time now.


	12. in a good mood

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**12. in a good mood**

Nami was in a good mood--relatively speaking, anyway. They'd managed to build the fire up to her satisfaction, even if they didn't have any of that shitty liar's fireworks (Sanji wasn't bitter, what?), and she seemed confident for the first time in several days that rescue was imminent.

Sanji decided not to spoil it with any more suggestions as to how they should spend their time. He was too much of a gentleman to be vulgar, so he'd always spoken in euphemism, but perhaps he hadn't been euphemistic enough? He decided that he needed to work on that. That would be his next project: to find the perfect way to express his love for Nami, and since he was sure she must love him too (honestly; how could she not?), the natural progression of things was for them to make good on that love, whether it be through touches or kisses or more, right?

Still, a gentleman did not press things.

Nami lay just on the other side of the fire from him, Luffy's hat resting on her stomach. She was considering the possibility of someday selling her story to a publisher and making bank. She wondered how much space this section of her life would take up--"And once, I was stranded on an island for a couple of weeks"? She supposed she'd have to embellish a little in order to sell more copies. She'd ask Usopp about it. He'd know just what to say. Probably something about killer skunks on the island, or something.

She sighed. Surely someone would be along for them any time now.


	13. excessive chain

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**13. excessive chain**

They'd been there for about two weeks when Nami noticed something was terribly wrong with Sanji. She'd notice his glowing declarations towards her were growing thin, and he seemed more inclined not to say anything at all, almost as if he was trying to avoid saying something offensive. He also seemed generally less active--_weaker_.

"Sanji?"

He looked up at her sitting beside him. Normally such close proximity would send him into amorous verse, especially given that her leg had brushed his arm in the softest of kisses, but today he didn't have more to offer than a, "Huh?"

"Something's the matter."

"Are you all right?"

"I meant with you. What is it?"

"Oh." He looked away. "Nothing."

Nami feigned woe. "Oh, I see. If you feel you can't tell me, then I guess I'll just go." She moved to leave.

He grabbed her arm. "That's not it."

She settled back down. "If you're worrying about troubling me or something, don't bother. I'm so bored and a bit of worry would at least liven things up a little, right?"

Sanji was hesitant, but denying Nami anything she wanted was more painful than just about any alternative he could think of. "I'm out of cigarettes."

"Is _that_ all?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I always keep some on me, sealed up. You learn to do things like that on the ocean. But I ran out a couple of days ago."

The very thought had honestly never occurred to Nami. Seeing Sanji smoking was as natural as seeing him breathing; she was so used to it she didn't even notice it anymore, and she certainly didn't question it. However, now his supply was gone, and he was going through withdrawal. She supposed even freakishly strong people like him could be defeated by something simple like this.

"Chopper would be pleased," she pointed out, trying to lighten up the situation. "I don't think he approves of your habit."

Sanji managed a small, wry laugh. The withdrawal was making him pessimistic. "If he ever finds out." Not to mention his head was killing him.

Nami planted something firmly over his face, blocking out his vision. It was Luffy's straw hat. "Take a nap or something, why don't you?" she said. "I'll wake you when our rescue ship gets here."

He smiled beneath the hat.


	14. radiocassette player

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**14. radio-cassette player**

"When I was fifteen," Sanji began, staring straight ahead, as both of them usually were wont, "we got this weird thing. A radio-casette player, I think it was called. Some salesman gave it to me after being impressed by my culinary skill."

Nami couldn't help rolling her eyes at that one. It was almost like talking to Usopp.

"I've never seen anything like it, not before or since." His hand went to his lips involuntarily, as if he was going to kiss them. He wasn't quite used to not smoking yet, but he _was_ doing better. Functional, at least. "You could play music on it. The rest of the guys didn't like it too much because they have no appreciation for the finer things in life, but I loved it." He rubbed the back of his head. "I can remember all the kicks I took from that shitty old man telling me to turn that damned thing off."

"What happened to it?"

"Got smashed when some shitty pirates came in and decided to start being rowdy." He shrugged. "Like I said, I've never seen one since then. If I did, I would give it to Luffy so he'd feel like we had a musician on board."

"I can play the piano," Nami admitted.

"Really? That's incredible!"

Yes, doing much better; he'd regained the energy to fawn. "Not well," she said. "There was a lady in Cocoyashi who had one, and she gave me a few lessons. I haven't played in quite some time, but I think it's one of those things where once you learn it, you can't forget it. Like speaking a language. Even if you stop using that language for awhile, you don't unlearn it. Music is like a language of its own, really."

"Such poetry! Miss Nami, you're so amazing. I'd love to hear you play sometime."

"Keep dreaming."


	15. perfect blue

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**15. perfect blue**

Most of their days went like this: some time was alloted for the gathering of foodstuffs, some time spent preparing it, and some time eating. They devoted some time everyday to making sure the fire was as big as it could be. They would also walk around the small island at least once a day, just to be sure. As much of the remainder of the time as possible was spent sleeping.

Anything left over, though, was usually spent staring.

Sure, they would converse, but they always ran out of things to say, at least temporarily, and would lapse into silence. With the silence, inevitably, came the staring.

That was the usual picture: Nami sitting to the left of the fire, Sanji on the right, both staring out across the ocean, as if the gentle ebb and flow of the tide as it eternally came up to kiss the shore before parting again was absolutely the most fascinating thing either of them had ever seen.

Still, both of them knew there was something magical about the ocean. Both of their passions lay there--in an age of piracy like this one, _most_ men's passions, admittedly, lay at sea, but they still considered themselves different. In truth, neither of them could imagine themselves confined to land forever. It was too static, and they were the type that needed to be constantly in motion.

No, even though it could be ornery, unpredictable, and deadly, neither of them could imagine living their lives anywhere else. There was something about its fickle blue depths that was just so undeniably... perfect.


	16. invincible

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**16. invincible**

"You know," Sanji said one day, something occurring to him behind his awful headache, "I was stranded on an island once before."

"Okay, Usopp." She was half-tempted to ask him to build her that firework.

"No, really." Sanji had forgotten that Nami didn't know the story of how he came to be with Zeff on the Baratie--it had just _seemed_ like he had known her forever. But she had already gone back to Arlong Park before his position on the crew was official. "Me and that shitty old man from the Baratie."

She regarded him with a healthy measure of cynicism.

"I was... nine years old," he said, "still learning how to be a cook." He then recounted for her the whole story, from when Zeff's crew showed up, to the storm, to waking up on the rocky island, all the way to the discovery that Zeff had not only given him all the food, but had gone so far as to sacrifice his own leg, the weapon that had made him feared throughout the seas, essentially giving _himself_ the kiss of death, so that Sanji could live.

"So, you see," he concluded, "this is nothing compared to that. For one thing, there's food here. For another thing, I'd much rather be stranded with someone like you than that old man."

Nami was amazed. She had no idea.

"Everyday, I said, 'Just a few more days. Just a few more days, and someone will come.' And finally, they did."

It was kind of amazing, she reflected. She had always referred to Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji as being freakishly strong. She chalked Luffy's up to the Devil's fruit, and Zoro's to his incessant training at every opportune moment, but it hadn't occurred to her that Sanji's could have started from a situation like _this_.

"Just a few more days," she said, "and someone will come."


	17. kHz

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**17. kHz**

Once or twice, a ship could be seen just off in the distance, but they were apparently too wrapped up in their own business to notice the little line of smoke rising off the inconsequential island out there on the horizon.

These times were the worst, worse than when they saw no ship at all, because it was just so _disappointing_.

But, Sanji was always one to look on the bright side. He found these times were the ones where he could get away with watching Nami for the longest amount of time; she was too busy being discouraged to notice. He'd learned fairly quickly that the best course of action in these situations was simply to let her feelings rebound on their own instead of actively trying to cheer her up, which usually only made her angry anyway.

Often he took the opportunity to study her face. He loved the shape of her nose most of all. No, no, it was the color of her eyes that he liked best. Okay, that was wrong too; it was the curve of her lips that he _really_ loved. Actually, he couldn't decide. He loved it all, every inch of it. He almost wished the frequency with which they got the kiss-off from passing ships was greater because he simply couldn't get enough of it.

"Sanji."

The sadness in her voice broke his heart. "Yes, Miss Nami?"

"_Stop staring at me_."

"Ah. Yes, Miss Nami."


	18. say ahh

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**18. "say ahh..."**

"Bellemère made Nojiko and me go to the dentist once every six months, without fail," Nami said. "I hated it. There's something so invasive about somebody else poking around inside your mouth."

Sanji cocked a curled eyebrow.

"He was a nice guy, though," she went on with a small chuckle. "He'd always ask us silly questions, like, 'Are you married yet?' I always told him I was engaged."

"To anyone in particular?" Sanji asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Usually I'd say Gen," she said with a shrug.

"The guy with the pinwheel?" Sanji said, straining to remember.

She nodded.

He decided he had nothing to worry about, then.

"A dentist came to Baratie once," he said after a silence. "I was twelve."

"Oh yeah? How many hundreds of cavities did little Sanji have?" She grinned impishly.

"Don't know," he said with a shrug. "The bastard went, 'Say ahh,' like he was going to try to kiss me or something, and that was more than enough for me. I nailed him in the side of the head. He never came back."


	19. red

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**19. red**

The shirt Nami was wearing the day of the storm had been red, but after about three weeks on the island, it was definitely headed for the other side of brown. She had taken a dive in the water the rinse off as often as she could, but she had never taken her clothes off and tried to clean them with any measure of determination. The reason for this was simple: she knew Sanji would be watching, eagerly, and she most certainly was not about to give him a free show (and fat lot of good it would do trying to charge him here).

However, finally it reached the point where she couldn't stand it anymore. "Sanji," she said, standing up, "I am going to the other side of the island. Don't you dare follow me or come looking for me or any of that, or you'll be so far in debt to me you'll never be able to get out of it. I'll be back in a little while."

He regarded her from over his shoulder, nonplussed. "Yes, Miss Nami..."

She hurried to the other side of the island. The faster she did this, the better, she thought, quickly undressing. She didn't want to be too abrasive, though; the longer these clothes lasted, the better, as they were currently the only ones she had.

Nami had been gone for fifteen minutes when Sanji heard a noise. He looked up: it was a bird! He jumped to his feet. Something edible and _different_! He took off after it down the beach, lobbing anything heavy he could find in an effort to bring it down.

After a few attempts, he managed to nick its wing, causing it to drop lower in the sky. Now he could go in for the kill. Nami would be so thrilled!

It was then that something in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he turned--

"_Mellorine_!" he cried, involuntarily falling to the beach. The bird shakily but hastily made its escape.

Nami's face turned as red as her shirt had been. "_SANJI_!" she screamed, closing the distance between the two of them and nailing his prostrate form with a sharp kick to the breadbasket. After she had _explicitly_ told him not to--!

It took quite some time before he found himself able to sit up. He tried to stem the flow of blood coming from his nose by holding his finger under it (he wished Nami would come and kiss it better). When it dried, he noted with some sense of detachment, it, too, was the color of her shirt. Gingerly, he used his free hand to massage his stomach. Nami was delicate and graceful and all of those things, but she sure could deliver a blow when she wanted to.

Oh, but the pain had been worth it. So very worth it.


	20. the road home

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**20. the road home**

Sanji was a day older and, apparently, 1,000,000 berries in debt before Nami would speak to him again.

"The fondest memory I have," he said, taking a stab at conversation the following night after the sun went down and the silence had gone beyond unbearable, "is Baratie's opening day. We knew we were doing something special, that old man and me. Something nobody had ever done before. We were following through on a dream."

There was a silence, filled only by the usual crackling of the fire.

"The fondest memory I have," Nami said finally, her voice sounding thin in the night, "is of the road home."

He didn't prompt her, just watched her carefully and waited for her to go on.

"I would be gone for months at a time," she said, "and sometimes those months could be horrible. _Usually_ they were. I was so grateful to be back, even though I knew I would have to leave again soon. But following that road between Arlong Park and home, it was like none of it had happened. I could pretend that I'd just gone to... the dentist, or piano lessons, or the bookstore, or _anywhere_, and I was just headed home, and Bellemère would be there making dinner, and Nojiko would be out in the yard tending to the tangerines. She had this ritual of giving particular good pickings a little kiss. I always made fun of her, told her it was some kind of weird obsessive compulsive thing she had--"

Sanji's heart fluttered. Oh, to be a tangerine in that grove! Nami's foster sister was nearly as beautiful as Nami herself.

"--but it was just... something about her that made her special." She paused. "Once I got there, and Bellemère wasn't there, and all I could do was bury whatever treasure I had gathered and take a rest before leaving again, it was never the same. But for that time, on the road home, I could pretend."

Sanji let the story sink into him for a moment. "Oh," he burst out after a moment, "Miss Nami, you're so incredible! So strong! So brave! I've never met anyone as wonderful as you! It fills me with such joy that I could take you away from all of that! Relieve your suffering! Relieve your pain!"

Nami sat back and let Sanji's usual ravings wash over her. Leave it to him to ruin the moment.


	21. violence

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**21. violence**

"There's a duck."

"Where?"

"Right there." Nami pointed. "Right next to that orangutan."

"I don't see any orangutan, either!"

Nami sighed, exasperated. "Of course you don't, they're all just a bunch of fair weather cumulus clouds, but if you're going to play the game, have a little imagination! Now look again, there's a duck!"

Sanji squinted and tilted his head to one side. "Oh--! And that part right there is the beak?"

"_Yes_," Nami cried triumphantly.

"And you think that one next to it is an _orangutan_?" He squinted harder. "Looks more like a... parfait to me."

"You're crazy. It's an orangutan, not a dessert."

"Well, there's a lot of whipped cream on it," he added helpfully.

"I can assure you, it is a whipped cream-free orangutan. Look, that's one of its arms, right there."

There had been mostly clear skies over their tiny little home, but just the right convection current for oversea cumulus clouds had developed, much to Nami's glee (she hated the same weather day after day after day; it was so boring and predictable), and they had decided to make the most of it.

"That's a spoon, not an arm," Sanji insisted. "And since orangutans don't have spoons, I think it's safe to assume that it is, in fact, a parfait."

"It is no such thing!" She shook her fist threateningly. "It's an orangutan."

"Can't we agree to disagree?" Sanji suggested. "Call it an orangutan-flavored parfait?"

"That sounds disgusting."

"I didn't say you had to eat it."

"And anyway," she said, firm on this, "that would make you more correct than me. If anything, it's a parfait-flavored orangutan."

"There is no such thing." He would know.

"Oh?" Nami raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose there is such a thing as an orangutan-flavored parfait?"

"Actually--"

"Don't answer that." She looked at the cloud again. "No, that is most definitely an orangutan."

Normally Sanji was not one to disagree with a lady, but Nami was so cute when she was angry, he couldn't help himself. "It's a parfait."

"Orangutan!"

"Parfait."

One sharp blow to the head decided that one. "Orangutan," said Sanji with a nod, though it caused his vision to go blurry. "Definitely." The tender spot on the back of his head was a reminder of her touch--more like an overzealous kiss from a particularly robust angel than an actual blow, he decided. Ah, never was violence so adorable.


	22. cradle

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**22. cradle**

Their cloud-gazing took a decidedly more dangerous turn just a few short days later when Nami announced the approach of cumulonimbus clouds--clouds similar, she explained to a nonplussed Sanji, to those that had formed just before they and the Going Merry Go had been so unfortunately separated.

Based on the undying belief that their rescue was always just moments away, the idea of building a real shelter had just not occurred to either of them; when the sun got too hot, they took a quick dip in the water or headed for the shade of the trees. If it was too cold, they huddled closer to the fire. Both situations involved fairly simple fixes. Rain, on the other hand, was a bit more complicated.

Based on Nami's predictions, they had several hours before the storm hit, so they still had time to do something about it. It was difficult, though--as Nami put it, she wanted to be a great _navigator_, not a great _architect_. Sanji himself thought something like construction was far too vulgar for someone as refined and intelligent as Nami, but she refused his offer to do it himself.

Still, they managed to put enough of a roof over their heads that they would get a small measure of protection; better than nothing. They huddled in it warily, and finally the storm hit.

The rain lashed their tiny island, a million violent kisses on the sand. The wind picked up, howling like it was going out of style, threatening to tear their shelter apart.

Instinctively, protectively, Sanji put his arms around Nami, even though he knew it would probably earn him a black eye, and held her close, doing his best to shield her from the weather with his (admittedly not very bulky) body. To his shock and eternal glee, she didn't pull away; rather, she clung to him just as tightly, her knuckles white from trying to keep a grip on Luffy's hat.

It took all the strength in his body not to pass out from the joy of it right there. _Mellorine! Mellorine!_ cried the voice in his head repeatedly. This was truly the best natural disaster _ever_.


	23. candy

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**23. candy**

It took a large amount of sunshine before everything was dry again. The two of them and Luffy's hat lay on the beach, feeling inexplicably exhausted. The storm had been an adrenaline rush of the worst kind, and now it felt like they'd run a marathon while they were hunkered down in that pitiful shelter.

"Lost the fishing spear," said Nami without moving, "and my calendar stick. Plus of course the fire went out and it'll be hard to get another one going for a while."

"Candy," said Sanji

"What?"

"Think of candy," he said, still not making much sense to Nami.

"Why?"

"Because... it's candy." It seemed obvious to Sanji. "My favorite... is..." he paused. "Cocoa and rum truffles. With or without nuts." None of that dime store sugar and glue crap for him.

Nami thought considerably and at length. "Kisses," she said finally.

Sanji was on his feet in the blink of an eye. "Yes?"

"Chocolate ones."

He was back in the sand. "Ah."

"Tiny chocolate kisses," said Nami, with certainty, nodding to herself. She was surprised to find that for some strange reason, she did feel somewhat better just thinking about it.

Sanji resolved to, at the next inhabited island they got to, buy Nami a hundred--no, a _million_ chocolate kisses.


	24. good night

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**24. good night**

The storm was long gone, the beach quite dry, and the fire satisfactorily crackling. The sky was clear again, full of billions of stars sparkling the way they only did just after rainfall, as if somehow the rain had reached them, too, and washed them clean.

Nami was curled up beside the fire, asleep. Sanji sat next to her, staring up at the stars. They had very quickly lost track of the days after Nami lost her calendar stick, but Sanji guessed they must have been there for about a month. Even though he did want to be reunited with the rest of the crew, he had to give this experience credit where it was due. Even if it didn't quite play out like his fantasies of being alone with Nami often did, he felt much closer to her than ever, a closeness he was pretty sure could not have been achieved with those noisy, nosy losers around all the time to get in the way.

In her sleep, Nami gave a small shiver and curled up tighter.

Sanji regarded her for a moment, then picked up his jacket and draped it over her like a blanket. His fingers came up and kissed her cheek, rough brushing gently against smooth. She did not stir. He lay down in the sand beside her, leaving enough space between them so as to be polite, and whispered, "Good night."


	25. fence

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**25. fence**

Nami was an expert in fences. After all, she was, for starters, a fence herself. But she was also exceptionally good at building them around her person. They were comfortable, and kept everyone at a safe distance.

It was a habit that she had picked up through all her years of mingling with all sorts, good and bad, only to turn on them in the end and take them for all they were worth. Usually it was easy because they were almost always bad people, but on very rare occasions she did find herself getting somewhat attached, and that was when the fences came up full force.

She had stupidly forgotten to do this quickly enough when it came to Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp, though. Even though she knew from the beginning that she was just using them, she found herself letting her guard down. There was something about them, all of them, that was so disarming. That's why it was so hard to give them the kiss off like she had so many others, why she couldn't kill Zoro even if it meant ruining all her hard work, why she finally broke down and asked Luffy for help even when she had tried so hard to do it alone all those years.

Even now, with Arlong defeated and Cocoyashi safe, she was still building fences--ironically, in an effort not to feel fenced in herself. Old habits die hard, and this one was no exception. Even though she knew it was technically okay to let someone in now, she kept at those fences. She wouldn't be Nami if she didn't.

Though sometimes, she reflected, waking up under Sanji's coat (he was still asleep, a full two feet of space between them), her workmanship was shoddy, and it was possible, though seldom easy, for someone else to find their way through.


	26. if only I could make you mine

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**26. if only I could make you mine**

He wanted to say,

"'If Miss Nami doesn't get on board,' I told them, 'I lose 98.72 percent of my reason to be here!'"

Or,

"'Don't fight the Lapahn,' I told Luffy, 'because Miss Nami will get hit with the same force you do!' And then I took care of them myself!"

Or,

"'So cute!' I would say. Even though I knew it was that shitty jerk Mr. 2 underneath, I just couldn't hit him when he looked like you! The thought of causing you pain was worse than losing my own life!"

Or,

"Just now, I resolved to buy you a million chocolate kisses!"

Or,

An infinite number of other things.

But all he said was,

"Would you like another piece of fruit?" 


	27. overflow

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**27. overflow**

The weather had taken a turn for the colder, especially at night when they didn't have the sun to warm them against the chilly ocean breeze. They sat as close to the fire and, to Sanji's overflowing delight, to each other as they could to keep warm. He couldn't imagine a more romantic setting, especially given the huge full moon hanging in the sky, causing the whole world to glow softly.

"March 2," he announced, when his head had cleared enough for him to think of something to say (it was really, _really_ difficult).

"What?"

"My birthday," he said, realizing she hadn't been having the same conversation he had been having with himself mentally. "It's March 2. I'm 19."

"Ah." A beat. "Bellemère, Nojiko, and I always celebrated mine on July 3. I'm 18."

Sanji sensed there was a story behind that, but his head was rapidly becoming too clouded with _Mellorine! Mellorine! Mellorine!_ for him to think to ask on it.

Nami shivered and pulled his coat more tightly around her shoulders--he was never, ever, ever, ever, absolutely _ever_ washing that again, even if it started to smell like Marimo--and leaned against him.

Every single muscle in his body seized up. There wasn't even a natural disaster this time! She was touching him of her own free will! This was the moment his life had been leading up to! If ever there was a time to lean in for a kiss, this was it!

He tried to control himself. He studied her face in the flickering light. Did he detect the hint of a blush? Could she be thinking the same thing he was? This was it! This was it! Without further ado, he leaned--

"Ah!" Nami sat up abruptly, pointing at something in the distance, his jacket falling off her shoulders. She leaped to her feet, causing Sanji to jerk back to avoid being hit, and ran down to the water's edge, waving her arms and Luffy's hat in the air.

Sanji stared at the place where she had been wistfully. Surely his whole life hadn't been leading up to _this_.

"Over here! Over here!" she shrieked.

He looked to discover that the source of the interruption was--_a ship_! And not just any ship! It was the Going Merry Go!

Forgetting everything else, he grabbed his jacket and went to join her, jumping and waving and shouting frantically. "Luffy! Zoro!" Nami shouted at the top of her voice. "Usopp!"

"Chopper!" Sanji joined in. "Dear, dear, dear Robin!"

The Going Merry missed the island three times before it finally reached them, just as the sun was coming up.


	28. Wada Calcium CD3

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**28. Wada Calcium CD3**

"Ah! Hat!" said Luffy straightaway, cutting to the chase. Nami gladly handed it back to him, and he gleefully planted it firmly on his head. "Thank you for taking care of it," he said, offering a small bow. His hat was important to him, after all.

"I found the Log Pose," Robin explained, handing it back to Nami, "and we managed to get the ship to the next island, where we stocked up on provisions, before heading back this way to find you."

There were tears in Nami's eyes. "You really are the only one I can count on, after all!"

"I helped!" Usopp said.

"Shockingly, it's true," Zoro said flatly.

"What do you mean, 'shockingly'?" Usopp said. "I would have liked to see you do any better! And anyway, I never said anything about it because it was Nami's position, but I'm actually known widely as a Captain Usopp, great warrior _and_ navigator! I once navigated through the Iceberg Sea, a sea so treacherous that none besides myself and Gold Roger have ever made it through alive!"

"_Really_?" said Chopper, amazed.

"Really," said Usopp, nodding.

"_Wow_!"

Sanji appeared then, laden with food. Luffy's eyes became the size of saucers. "Wahoo! It really has been too long without Sanji's cooking--"

Sanji deftly dodged Luffy's attack, still managing not to spill a drop. "You shitty losers get lost. This is only for Miss Nami and me." He smiled at Robin. "I'll fix you something in a bit, too."

Robin returned his smile, in kind.

"Oh!" said Chopper suddenly, remembering something. He handed Nami something. "These are vitamin pills. You should take one at each meal until they're gone. They'll help you replenish the nutrients your body lost on the island."

"Ah! Thank you," said Nami, patting him on the head (or rather, the top of his hat).

Chopper's face broke into a huge grin. "I don't need your thanks! Why do you think it'll make any difference to me if you say 'thank you'? Asshole!" he giggled, doing a little dance.

Without further ado, the two dove into their huge meal. Good on his promise, Sanji even gave the red meat a tiny but grateful kiss before consuming it ravenously, ultimately deciding he didn't care whether or not it was a lady.


	29. the sound of waves

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**29. the sound of waves**

Nami was more excited about the prospect of sleeping in a real bed again than anything else. Having clean clothes was a very close second, though. She washed up and changed, then crawled into bed for a long, long nap.

She awoke the next afternoon to the usual hubbub of an average day on the ship. There seemed to be some kind of argument going on: Zoro was yelling at Luffy for hanging over the side of the ship, saying that he would fall in if he wasn't careful. "Luffy!" Nami heard Chopper shout, and then a splash--it seemed the excitable reindeer had misunderstood, thinking that Luffy had _already_ fallen in, and went in after him, forgetting he was just as much of an anchor as his captain. A moment later, she heard Chopper return to the deck, out of breath, and Zoro, once again his rescuer, lecture him about jumping over like that.

She closed her eyes again and blocked it all out, focusing on one thing: the sound of the waves beneath the ship, rolling and splashing up to kiss the hull. It had a remarkably calming effect. She was, truly, home.

After a few minutes of this, she got up and moved to her desk. She looked through each of her maps, one by one, tracing over the lines with her fingertip. She had missed them, but now she could get back to work on her world map.

Not just yet, though. She stood up and left her room.


	30. kiss

A/N: This is an ongoing project for 30 kisses.

Not the owner, not making money, not looking for a suit.

-----

**30. kiss**

Sanji was leaning over the bow, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The thought of voluntarily quitting for good seemed, to him, terribly absurd (much to the disappointment of Chopper, who, he was pretty sure, had just gone over the side of the ship). The feeling of the smoke filling his lungs felt almost nostalgic, even if it did cause him to go into a small fit of coughing.

The little island had already long ago disappeared from sight. All around them once more was ocean, and they were speeding towards their next destination in the Grand Line.

"It's been a long time hasn't it?"

He turned his head. Nami was leaning next to him, looking where he had been just a moment before.

She turned to make eye contact. "Since we've been here."

"Yeah," he said nonchalantly, removing the cigarette. "Too long."

"That's right," she said with a firm nod. "Time is money, as they say. I hope the next island has a ton of treasure!"

He could see the berry signs in her eyes. "Yeah," he said, looking back on the ocean. It was just like the island all over again, except with less sand.

"Oh, that reminds me," Nami said suddenly.

He turned to her once more. "Reminds you?"

"Yes." She leaned over, kissing him softly on the cheek. "Thank you, Sanji." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

There was a pause, and then she heard a _thunk_ behind her--it sounded distinctly like a body hitting the deck of the ship.

Chopper gasped. "Doctor! Doctor! Somebody get a doctor!" he cried, running around frantically before Usopp could convince him he _was_ a doctor.

It took two paper fans, three bottles of smelling salts, and four hours before Sanji was conscious again. The whole time he was out, though, he had a huge grin on his face.

-----

_Final notes: Oh em gee! It's done! And in record time, too. I haven't written this much in such a short amount of time since NaNoWriMo last year (I miss NaNo; is it November yet?). 10,000 words in 48 hours? Am I a machine?_

_Anyway, a couple of things. First, I don't have a beta reader (sigh, I know, I know), so I usually miss typos the first and second times around. Don't worry, I will find them eventually and fix them (I've already caught quite a few, shh)._

_Second and most importantly, **thank you so much** to those of you have left reviews. I swear, I squee'd out loud every time one showed up in my mailbox, I am that much of a dork._

_Also, thank you to any potential future reviews. Not even for any nice things you might say or any constructive hints you might have to offer, but simply for reading my drivel (sometimes even my eyes glaze over). I don't write fanfic all that often (as you can see from my lack of library here), and this is actually my first real One Piece fic, even though I've been following the fandom off and on for... well, quite a bit longer than a year now. The characters are what make this series, so writing them true to Oda's vision is very intimidating. Still, I couldn't turn down the challenge offered by 30 kisses._

_Now all that's left is to finish cleaning it up and post it at eljay-land too._

_Speaking of cleaning up, I have put off my morning shower for hours to finish this and now I'm starting to smell like Marimo. Gross!_

_Thank you again ♥_


End file.
